


Predetermined Fate

by BananaMilkLightning



Category: Final Fantasy XIII Series
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Blood and Gore, Devilman - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2019-11-15
Packaged: 2020-12-27 20:42:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21124943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananaMilkLightning/pseuds/BananaMilkLightning
Summary: [Devilman AU]In the final battle and final hours of the world they know, there are realisations of what it cost to get there. On opposite sides, Hope and Noel are able to share their final moments together, but not as their hearts really want.Meet again in another world, another timeline.





	Predetermined Fate

**Author's Note:**

> There is no love. Therefore, there is no sorrow. Only there is sorrow and therefore there is love. You are proof of that.

A world of ruin. That’s what Noel said the aftermath would be. A world where no one would be able to live. A place you couldn’t call home. A graveyard for the souls that did not pass. It was ridiculous to think about, to give up so easily? Hope wasn’t lost, they had to make their own path, make their own future, it was the only way.

_It’s worth the cost, the angel had said_, and Hope believed them.

_It’s not worth the cost, the devil had said_, and Noel believed them.

In the end what mattered the most?

‘Noel?’ Hope said, his voice barely a whisper.

The scythe pierced through Noel’s stomach in a jagged hit, leaving a gaping cut that was quickly smothered by his organs. Both pairs of eyes widened in shock. Hope watched him fall from the sky and down to the broken ground with a thud. Dust plumed up obscuring his body, Hope held his breath and swooped down, landing harsh onto the ground beside him. In the distance he heard someone shout at him, call him name, but that didn’t matter. The sound of his heartbeat drowned all else.

Noel had transformed back, but Hope tried not to pay attention to how his wings were immediately strained with blood when he knelt beside him. Noel’s blood.

‘I-…’ Hope tried to speak.

He pressed down on the wound. He wasn’t sure how much it would actually help. He was distinctly aware the pool of blood was growing larger. Covered in it, he brought a hand to caress Noel’s face.

‘Wake up… Noel, wake up.’

He let out a choked sob and looked to the sky, ignoring the demons flitting around.

‘S-Someone, someone- Satan help me!’ Hope shouted, right hand reaching to the bright figure above.

Then it was gone.

Hope howled in pain, bringing the arm to his chest. His eyes darted around to the small crowd of demons, blood thirsty and jeering, calling out his name. The name that didn’t sit right on his tongue, that sounded like a curse when Satan first called him and sounded plain wrong when Noel said it.

Panic rose when he heard one yell, telling him to eat the boy on the ground.

He gripped Noel protectively and pulled him close, resting his head on his legs.

Hope shouted again, tears flowing free down his cheeks. Why did demons have no ability to heal others? Noel was going to die, with no hope of saving him.

He heard a thud close to him. The tremor mixed in with the others on the battlefield. Noel groaned in his arms and Hope enveloped him with his wings. A voice shouted to run and screams of pain rang out around him. The small crowd of demons was decimated in seconds. The thump of footsteps approached the pair on the ground and Hope had a brief thought he should make Noel eat him, but it passed as quick, he knew Noel would refuse.

‘This isn’t meant to happen.’ The demon spoke, moving closer.

Hope’s head shot up. Standing to the full extent of his height was Devilman, the so-called leader of the opposition, the one who had been cultivated by Satan himself.

Hope couldn’t say anything. What were they doing? The moment he began to fight Noel was the same moment he realised he wasn’t fighting for anything he wanted.

Devilman just stood there, tears pouring from his eyes.

Hope’s breath hitched. His own tears felt endless. Hope did know the stories. The stories of Devilman saving humans, saving fellow devilmen and crying about those lost. He thought they were lies. Why save humans when they refused to accept devilmen? Even after he amassed his army, humans still wanted to kill every single demon, regardless if they were a devilman or not. So, wasn’t it pointless to try and save them? But if he couldn’t at least save those he cared about the most, wasn’t he betraying himself?

‘He’s going to die, isn’t he? Noel’s going to die and-…’Hope didn’t want to think about after.

‘H-ope…’

Hope tore his eyes from him to the boy in his arms.

‘Noel!’

Noel’s fingers twitched, and Hope took hold of them, grasping tight.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything. I never wanted to fight you.’ Hope babbled apologies.

‘I know.’ His voice was weak. Hope leaned in closer.

‘Wanted to try and run away together, convince you.’ Blood trickled from his mouth. ‘Guess I’m going ahead.’

Rivulets of tears made their way down his face, mixing with the blood smeared on his face from Hope’s hands. Hope brought his stumped arm to cradle his head, brushing the tears away.

Noel’s lips quirked up in a smile. ‘Even like this you’re beautiful.’ He said slurring the words.

His free hand tried to reach up but he trembled with exertion, Hope caught it and brought it to his own head. He let Noel rub his cheek and curl his fingers in his hair, they were slick with earth and blood but Hope didn’t care.

Noel coughed, beginning to choke in his own blood. ‘H-ope…kiss me.’

Holding onto the hand in his hair Hope tried to cup his face with his other hand brought them together in a kiss.

There was nothing to taste of Noel but Hope tried to cherish what he could.

Hope lifted up his head, crimson tinting his lips. “Please stay with me.” he wanted to whisper but the words never made a sound.

Instead he turned to Devilman, still standing there, a battle in his mind

'Why aren’t you ending this?' Hope clenched his fists. 'There is no point in anything anymore. Don't you understand? All of this,' Hope gestured wildly to the craggy ground and forlorn skyline, 'it's meaningless!'

Frustrated at nothing, Hope stood up, eyes blazing gold flecks, feathered wings flaring out. He sucked in a breath.

‘Your indecisiveness isn’t going to change anything. Why don’t you wipe out the rest of us? My life is…’ Hope trailed off, feeling his fingers stick together.

Devilman looked away, head raised towards the angelic figure floating over them all.

'Then wouldn't killing you be pointless? Does it really matter how we die, now that everything worth protecting is gone? Even him... He needs to stop but he won't. There’s only one way now.'

It was true, even dying today or the next day didn't matter. Satan clearly didn't care who died. Dying, fighting, surviving, it was all meaningless to them. The promise of a future, of a tomorrow that was better, a false dream.

He wanted to plead once more to beg for a way to bring Noel back. He knew it would be useless. His thoughts turned to the people he once called friends, the ones he called family, those killed by humans and those by devils. He felt so hollow, as if his heart had been ripped out a long time ago, the remnants so blinded by light. Hope knelt down to run his fingers through brown locks one last time and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He grabbed Noel’s sword that lay abandoned metres away from his body.

At the very end he still wanted to be useful. To do something that could help.

Gripping the hilt tightly he steadied himself. ‘You have our permission. With our strength, do what you must.’

The pain Noel had felt must have been worse, he thought. He was almost glad Noel hadn’t struck him down first, he at least spared him from that pain. Beginning to fade away, he saw light descend from the sky. The cold radiance seared his eyes, selfishly he wanted to see the darkened sky, the constellations Noel favoured the most. He closed his eyes, willing himself to believe when he opened them again it would be waking from a dream. So, he pleaded to no one in particular.

_Let me wake from the ruin, the demon wished._

He knew why this happened. How it had come to this. He’d been too blind to see. His friends were gone, the tethers to keep him grounded. He made all the wrong choices for the reasons he thought were right. They were outsiders in this story that gravitated around only two. Yet, he wanted to hope, he wanted to defy fate.

_To find salvation in your eternal slumber, the end is nigh._

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bit clunky but I wrote most of this in Jan 2018, I wanted to emulate the melodrama feels from the Crybaby anime and especially the manga. There was a spin-off manga about how other people were affected and it's somewhat based off that.  
Late for Halloween still!


End file.
